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Death by Wheat-Loaded Cartridge: A Case Report. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2019; 40:396-398. [PMID: 31634152 DOI: 10.1097/paf.0000000000000509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The materials used to produce shotgun ammunition can have different properties depending on the purpose, and ammunition can be fabricated or loaded manually. In Turkey, wheat-loaded cartridges are manufactured for use as sound cartridges. This ammunition is understood by the public to be harmless. However, we present a case of a 13-year-old adolescent boy who was wounded from a contact shot to the chest. An entrance wound measuring 7 cm and 5 cm in diameter was seen on the skin. Wheat grains could not be detected in the internal organs and were only observed between the chest muscles around the entrance wound. A plastic wad was also found in this area. The cause of death was internal bleeding due to internal organ injury. Wheat-loaded cartridges are not visible on x-ray and are difficult to detect visually in the wound.
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Grellner W, Bratzke H, Bode G. Model cannons causing lethal traumata. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 302:109853. [PMID: 31255435 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Model cannons are usually considered to be harmless toys; therefore no legal regulations are required. Nevertheless, suicidal intentions or playful experimentation can turn this toy into a lethal weapon. This paper describes two cases of misuse of model cannons, leading to severe injuries and consequently death: the first case was the result of a suicidal intention, where the cannon caused a bullet injury into the forehead with marked signs of close-firing and intensive brain damage. The second case was an accidental event, where the cannon induced an entry wound at the left chest wall with surrounding carbonization and a fatal rupture of the heart. Circumstances of the lethal situations and mechanisms of the cannons leading to fatal injuries including ballistic considerations are described. The report is supported by a thorough literature research.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Grellner
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - H Bratzke
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Main, Germany
| | - G Bode
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany
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3
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Rearward movement of the slide in semi-automatic pistols: a factor potentially influencing the configuration of muzzle imprint marks in contact shots. Int J Legal Med 2018; 133:169-176. [PMID: 30515588 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-018-1978-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A muzzle imprint mark is a highly diagnostic finding, which indicates a contact shot. In many cases, it also provides additional information on the type of the weapon used and on the way in which it was held at the time of firing. In semi-automatic pistols, some constructional elements constituting the muzzle plane move to the rear together with the slide, which may prevent them from causing a corresponding imprint close to the bullet entrance hole. The present study comprises 30 consecutive autopsy cases of fatal contact shots to the head inflicted with semi-automatic pistols. The imprint marks accompanying the entrance wounds were compared with the muzzle ends of the respective weapons both before and after retracting the slide. It turned out that in a considerable number of cases (3 out of 30), the retractable parts were not depicted or only to a minor degree as components of the imprint mark. In order to validate the presumed correlation, experimental shots were fired to composite models using pistols in which the movable and the stationary parts forming the muzzle plane were dyed with different paints. Thus, it could be demonstrated that the muzzle imprint preferentially mirrors the front sides of the stationary parts such as the barrel end, the recoil guide, and the gun housing. Immediately after discharge, the slide and the ballooning skin of the bullet entrance site move in the same direction. The stationary parts of the weapon block the expansion of the skin bulging towards the muzzle, so that the skin gets firmly pressed against them. The dynamic interaction between the gun and the entrance region resulting in a characteristic imprint mark could be visualized by the use of a high-speed motion camera recording test shots to different composite models.
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Kučerová Š, Zátopková L, Vojtíšek T, Ublová M, Hejna P. An Unplanned Complex Suicide by Multiple Blank Cartridge Gunshots and Cutting. J Forensic Sci 2018; 64:616-621. [DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Štěpánka Kučerová
- Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University University Hospital Hradec Králové Sokolská 581 500 05 Hradec Králové Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Zátopková
- Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University University Hospital Hradec Králové Sokolská 581 500 05 Hradec Králové Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Vojtíšek
- Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine St. Anne's Faculty Hospital Brno Masaryk University Tvrdého 562/2a 602 00 Brno Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Ublová
- Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University University Hospital Hradec Králové Sokolská 581 500 05 Hradec Králové Czech Republic
| | - Petr Hejna
- Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University University Hospital Hradec Králové Sokolská 581 500 05 Hradec Králové Czech Republic
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Schyma C, Müller R, Brenčičová E, Brünig J. Distortion of the temporary cavity and its influence on staining in firearm barrels. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2018; 14:202-208. [PMID: 29616440 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-018-9971-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
After contact shots to the head, biological traces can be found inside the barrel of the firearm. Experimental protocols to generate this sort of staining, using 12 cm gelatin cubes containing thin foil bags filled with acrylic paint, human blood, and radiocontrast agent, have been developed. Previous research on shots fired at a distance has shown the underlay sustaining these gelatin cubes has an influence on experimental results. This study was conducted to investigate the role of the sustaining base of the gelatin blocks during contact shots, and its influence on the staining result inside firearm barrels. Eighteen contact shots were performed using 22 LR, 32 ACP (7.65 Browning) and 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistols. With each pistol, shots were fired onto six gelatin cubes; three placed upon a rigid platform and three upon an elastic underlay. The shots were recorded by a high-speed video camera as they penetrated the gelatin cube. Any staining present inside the firearm barrels after the shots were fired was documented by endoscopy. Cross sections of the gelatin blocks were then compared to the high-speed video. It was found that the nature of the staining inside the barrel was not influenced by the underlay sustaining the target model. In the experiment using a 9 mm Luger, the rigid counterfort provoked a visible distortion of the temporary cavity, but, cross sectional analysis of the gelatin cubes did not reveal a relevant influence of the sustaining underlay on the crack length in the gelatin. This could be explained by a secondary expansion of the temporary cavity left by the projectile as a consequence of subsequent inflow of muzzle gases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schyma
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Rolf Müller
- Criminal Investigation Service of the Cantonal Police Department of Bern, Nordring 30, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eva Brenčičová
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Julia Brünig
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
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Pircher R, Große Perdekamp M, Thierauf-Emberger A, Kramer L, Pollak S, Geisenberger D. Wound morphology in contact shots from blank cartridge handguns: a study on composite models. Int J Legal Med 2017; 131:1333-1339. [PMID: 28717964 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-017-1650-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
It is a well-known fact that blank cartridge guns can cause penetrating and even fatal injuries when discharged in contact or at very close ranges. In these cases, the gas jet perforates the skin leaving an entrance wound similar to that from a conventional gun. In order to investigate the wound morphology in contact shots from blank firearms, test shots were fired at composite models of pig skin and gelatin blocks using three different calibre 9-mm blank cartridge handguns (two pistols and one revolver) and two types of ammunition. It turned out that the penetrating gas jet produced roundish skin defects resembling bullet entrance holes. Small skin particles from the perforation site were dispersed in the underlying simulant where radiating cracks containing greyish gunshot residues indicated the original expansion of the inrushing combustion gases. Apart from the size of the permanent entrance hole in the skin and the final position of the displaced tissue particles, the penetration depth of the gas jet was determined. Under the specified conditions of the test shots, the zone of mechanical destruction within the simulant was 2.2 to 6.1 cm in length, which illustrates the injuring potential of contact shots inflicted with blank cartridge handguns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Pircher
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Markus Große Perdekamp
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Annette Thierauf-Emberger
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lena Kramer
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pollak
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Geisenberger
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
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Schyma C, Herr N, Brünig J, Brenčičová E, Müller R. The influence of the counterfort while ballistic testing using gelatine blocks. Int J Legal Med 2017; 131:1325-1332. [PMID: 28616691 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-017-1623-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In wound ballistic research, gelatine blocks of various dimensions are used depending on the simulated anatomical region. When relatively small blocks are used as substitute for a head, problems with regard to the expansion of the gelatine block could arise. The study was conducted to analyse the influence of the material the gelatine block is placed upon. Thirty-six shots were performed on 12 cm gelatine cubes doped with thin foil bags containing acrylic paint. Eighteen blocks each were placed on a rigid table or on a synthetic sponge of 5 cm height. Deforming bullets with different kinetic energies were fired from distance and recorded by a high-speed video camera. Subsequently, the gelatine cubes were cut into 1 cm thick slices which were scanned using a flatbed scanner. Cracks in the gelatine were analysed by measuring the longest crack, Fackler's wound profile and the polygon (perimeter and area) outlining the ends of the cracks. The energy dissipated ranged from 153 to 707 J. For moderate energy transfer, no significant influence of the sustaining material was discerned. With increasing dissipated energy, the sponge was compressed correspondingly, and the cracks were longer than in gelatine blocks which had been placed on a table. High-speed video revealed a loss of symmetry and a flattened inferior margin of the temporary cavity with energies superior to approx. Two hundred Joules when the blocks were placed on a rigid platform. However, 12 cm gelatine cubes showed material limits by a non-linear response when more than 400 J were dissipated for both rigid and elastic sustainment. In conclusion, the smaller the gelatine blocks and the greater the energy transfers, the more important it is to take into account the counterfort of the sustaining material.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Schyma
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - N Herr
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - J Brünig
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - E Brenčičová
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - R Müller
- Criminal Investigation Service of the Cantonal Police Department of Bern, Nordring 30, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
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Frank M, Peters D, Klemm W, Grossjohann R, Ekkernkamp A, Bockholdt B, Seifert J. Penetrating chest trauma caused by a blank cartridge actuated rubber ball projectile: case presentation and ballistic investigation of an uncommon weapon type. Int J Legal Med 2017; 131:1307-1312. [PMID: 28536882 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-017-1606-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recently, an increasing number of an uncommon weapon type based on a caliber 6-mm Flobert blank cartridge actuated revolver which discharges 10-mm-diameter rubber ball projectiles has been confiscated by police authorities following criminal offenses. A recent trauma case presenting with a penetrating chest injury occasioned an investigation into the basic ballistic parameters of this type of weapon. Kinetic energy E of the test projectiles was calculated between 5.8 and 12.5 J. Energy density ED of the test projectiles was close to or higher than the threshold energy density of human skin. It can be concluded that penetrating skin injuries due to free-flying rubber ball projectiles discharged at close range cannot be ruled out. However, in case of a contact shot, the main injury potential of this weapon type must be attributed to the high energy density of the muzzle gas jet which may, similar to well-known gas or alarm weapons, cause life-threatening or even lethal injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Frank
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany. .,Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin (ukb), Warener Str. 7, 12683, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dieter Peters
- Landeskriminalamt Brandenburg (LKA BB), Forensic Institute, Tramper Chaussee 1, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany
| | - Wolfram Klemm
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, ELK Berlin Chest Hospital, Lindenberger Weg 27, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rico Grossjohann
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Axel Ekkernkamp
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin (ukb), Warener Str. 7, 12683, Berlin, Germany
| | - Britta Bockholdt
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Kuhstraße 30, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Julia Seifert
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin (ukb), Warener Str. 7, 12683, Berlin, Germany
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Jitsuiki K, Ishikawa K, Koike K, Yanagawa Y. Oral injury due to blank shot of a rifle. J Emerg Trauma Shock 2017; 10:84-85. [PMID: 28367015 PMCID: PMC5357870 DOI: 10.4103/0974-2700.201583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kei Jitsuiki
- Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan E-mail:
| | - Kouhei Ishikawa
- Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan E-mail:
| | - Keiji Koike
- Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan E-mail:
| | - Youichi Yanagawa
- Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan E-mail:
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Schyma C, Bauer K, Brünig J, Schwendener N, Müller R. Visualization of the powder pocket and its influence on staining in firearm barrels in experimental contact shots. Int J Legal Med 2016; 131:167-172. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-016-1419-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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A patterned abrasion caused by the impact of a cartridge case may simulate an atypical muzzle imprint mark. Int J Legal Med 2015; 130:751-7. [PMID: 26496804 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In contact shots, the muzzle imprint is an informative finding associated with the entrance wound. It typically mirrors the constructional components being in line with the muzzle or just behind. Under special conditions, other patterned skin marks located near a gunshot entrance wound may give the impression to be part of the muzzle imprint. A potential mechanism causing a patterned pressure abrasion in close proximity to the bullet entrance site is demonstrated on the basis of a suicidal shot to the temple. The skin lesion in question appeared as a ring-shaped excoriation with a diameter corresponding to that of the cartridge case. Two hypotheses concerning the causative mechanism were investigated by test shots: - After being ejected, the cartridge case ricocheted inside a confined space (car cabin in the particular case) and secondarily hit the skin near the gunshot entrance wound. - The ejection of the cartridge case failed so that the case became stuck in the ejection port and its mouth contacted the skin when the body collapsed after being hit.
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